- Format: PSN (version reviewed), Xbox 360, PC
- Unleashed: Out Now
- Publisher: TimeGate Studios (PSN), SouthPeak (Xbox 360/PC)
- Developer: TimeGate Studios
- Players: 1-32
- Site: http://www.joinsection8.com/
Section 8 is a first-person shooter that defies gravity. More precisely, it’s an orbital-drop warfare based videogame. You’ll be floating and shooting a lot, at the same time. Strategy will play a role in where you dock for attack or safety. It sounds relatively easy; but it’s really not. The question before us is: is it all worth it, amidst dreary graphics and imprecise controls? Sometimes there are diamonds in the rough.
While the intro drop into enemy territory befits most similar fare, landing finds us losing lustre. The mechanics of Section 8 are simple – up down, left right, shoot. Perhaps too simple. But let’s talk strategy; on land, you want to change to third person view for more precise gameplay. Switching between first and third person will play into how you approach the terrain and surrounding characters. Strategy is really window-dressing in this game, and amounts to little more than moving to the left or right on screen, instead of something constructive. The game cheats itself with phooey combat and overall dullness.
Section 8 is full of action though, and should please most audiences; to a degree. It will however breed a subtle resentment and a desire for a similarly built, better game. Section 8 has an authority and a cadence worthy of better of things. This game has now appeared on all thre HD gaming formats, and garnered mediocre reviews all around. Potential is often not enough. So Section 8 is endowed with impressive concept, but is a muddled and tedious offering.
Single player mode is a bit of a bore, with bad enemy AI and brevity. Multiplayer is what this game is really made for, and in that respect it nearly mimics an MMO. Really, it’s a battlefield for space mayhem. In multiplayer mode, you’ll find a surprising opportunity to wreak havoc in a big way. As you play, you won’t know what hit you. Enemies can fall from the sky onto your head, and you can do the same to others; generally speaking, you must be in airspace to escape such manoeuvres. Even on land, the inability to know the number of enemies on the go, or where they’re coming from, makes for a jolly good time that adds a fright factor. Where’s the next attacker coming from? There is a frenetic energy about it all. Returning to ground from a rocket-pack boost while shooting your brains out, surrounded by your comrades, is the only place this game is a gem.
Excluding a few agreeable shudders, the game passes through a slow, plodding pace right off the bat. The ‘thrill’ of battle is laborious but functions with a degree of effectiveness, making the player pleasantly bothered. A grand idea for a Sci-Fi first person shooter is almost sunk by drab graphics and rough controls. Nonetheless, as the body count mounts up, Section 8 provides a (mildly) thrilling experience.
3/5
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